The Wedding Veil
by BattleJoy W
Summary: A nice, peaceful, country wedding... until a certain mazoku decides to crash it. (X/F)


Disclaimer: I own Slayers. I also own some prime Florida beachfront property and the Brooklyn Bridge if you are interested in buying it.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
In Roman times, it was believed that young brides were very vulnerable to demons and evil spirits. So the brides were veiled in order to disguise them from the demons. This is why brides wear veils.  
  
This tradition is one of the inspirations for this story.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"The Wedding Veil"-Part One  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Susan stood still while her best friend and maid of honor, Marie, buttoned the last button up the back of white wedding gown.  
  
"I left the veil in the carriage on the way over. Let me go get it." Marie said, heading out the door to the dressing room.   
  
Susan smiled and turned back to her reflection in the full length mirror. The women of her family had worked months on her wedding gown and it had paid off. The dress was mostly classic and tradition white satin overlaid in lace for the long sleeves and tight bodice and just yards and yard of only satin belling out for the skirt. The collar was slightly lower cut than most girls would have it but it was really flattering considering Susan's hourglass figure.   
  
Half of Susan's hair was up in a complex system of braids, twists, and small flowers while the rest of it was allowed to fall in soft light brown waves and curls down her back. Her lips were glossed and a light layer of blush was laid over her light smattering of freckles to add to keep with the whole "blushing bride" appearance and she was ready to go.  
  
All she needed now was her maid of honor to return with the veil and to quiet and focus herself in preparation for this big step in her life. This part was actually harder than Susan ever imagined. She only had minor jitters that were easily dismissed but they were still getting to her.  
  
One of the things that just kept running through her head was that she was too young to be getting married. Actually she was just the right age, 17, for girls in her village to get married but somehow it seemed vaguely way too early. She didn't have a problem with her groom's age. Somehow she didn't mind that he was several years older. It seemed natural. Just like the thought of her being with someone for possibly the next sixty or so years. She didn't mind that. For one thing, sixty years really didn't sound like a lot of time.  
  
The other problem was that Fernando was far too agreeable. He didn't complain one bit no matter how much she changed details in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Susan didn't know why that would worry her, but it did. So Susan kept on repeating things to herself like passion didn't make a successful marriage. That's it's better for two people to get along than anything else.  
  
She was definitely having second thoughts but she just dismissed them as wedding jitters. They were, after all, really small problem and were easily ignore. And everything else was perfect that day. She knew that she was going to get married that day.  
  
"Wow, Filia. Nice dress."   
  
Susan jumped, startled, and spun around to see who suddenly spoke to her. Her eyes fell on a nicely groomed exotic looking man with unusual silky purple shoulder-length hair. He was dressed in a outdated outfit of a wandering priest from a by-gone era.   
  
"Why thank you for the compliment. But I do believe you have wrong room. Could you please leave?" He seem so familiar yet everything about him seem to disconcert her, especially the fact that she didn't hear him open the door to come in and that he was locking said door. "Excuse me, but why are you locking the door?"  
  
"So no one will interrupt us." The man, smugly, said. "It will take me a while to get used to be greeted with big hazel eyes each morning. But the light brown hair looks nice. You don't have to bleach it gold if you don't want to. The freckles are a cute touch. You also have your mother's nose. That's a relief. You know Fil, I really missed you."  
  
"You are mistaken, sir. My name's Susan. I don't who you-." Susan was getting a bit frustrated at the man. She had to get ready. Everyone was in the chapel probably waiting by then.  
  
"I'm an old friend." The strange man seemed to look up and down her body appreciatively. "I'm just glad that slight chance that you'd come back as a guy didn't happen. That would have put an odd twist on the physical aspect of our relationship."  
  
"Whoever you are, please get out! I have to get ready." With that Susan turned her back on the odd man and tried to seem to be calmly ignoring him as she fiddled with some of the small white flowers her maid of honor tucked into her hair while she watched in the mirror's reflection and waited for him to go. He stood there looking slightly puzzled for a second then he open his eyes, smirked and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Confused, Susan looked around the room. "Hm. I guess he finally listened to me and left." Still wondering how the man disappeared right in front of her eyes, Susan turned back to the mirror and concentrated on getting ready.  
  
Of course, her concentration was completely shattered when she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. Susan was absolutely shocked at the light kisses she felt along her shoulder and neck. She angrily blushed and tried to suppress the slight shiver that went up her spine when he expertly cupped her breasts and whispered in her ear. "Boy, Filia, you fill out that dress nicely. I will miss the tail though. It was such a cute bow."  
  
"Get off me, pervert!" Susan struggled but the man didn't seem to notice or care.  
  
"I hope this white wedding dress isn't a lie. Of course I'd still want you even if you weren't a virgin. It wouldn't change what's between us." he said while nuzzling her neck, and sighing contentedly. "I'd just have to track down and eliminate any man that had dared to touch you. I know you hate me to engage in senseless slaughter but it would be a matter of pride."  
  
Susan finally broke out of his grip and pushed him away. "Get off of me! And get out of here! Now! Or else I'll scream and my father and uncles and cousins will come here and-and... and kick your heiny!"  
  
"'Kick my heiny?'" giggled the man as he picked her up by her waist and swung her around. "This is wonderful! Not only did you grow up to be a looker but you still have the same prudish personality traits as before!"  
  
Susan kicked and fought out away from his embrace away."Leave me alone! I don't know who you are and I don't want to know!" She backed away from the man and then pointed at the door, sternly. "Get out. I have to get ready. I'm being married in the hour."  
  
"Oh I know that, Filia. That's why I'm here. I'm here to break it up! You're going to run away with me! Isn't it romantic!" he smiled and nodded as if to convince her that it was a good thing.  
  
Susan's eye was twitching. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly as she slowly and firmly tried to explain to the stranger the situation again. "I don't know who you have me mistaken for but my name is not Filia. It's Susan. And I don't know you so it's very unlikely that I'll run away with you."  
  
"Oh yes, you do. You know that I'm Xellos. Not only did you know me from your last life, you already have met me in this one and promised to run away with me!"  
  
"I did not! I don't remember you at all!" Susan screamed in his face, then stopped startled by her own violent reaction. She normally was a quiet and peaceful girl but something about this man seemed to irritate her to no end. She was furthered startled by Xellos sitting in a chair and calmly pulling her in to sit on his lap.  
  
"Well, you were only four so you shouldn't feel that bad about not remembering me." Xellos patronizingly said while hugging her and stoking a few stray hairs out of her face. "That's when I first tracked you down. Remember me now? You used to call me Mister Happy Purple Head. Or rather 'Mitha Happe Pu-pa Hed.' You couldn't say Xellos. Finally grew out of that speech impediment I see. Well that's good."  
  
"You were my imaginary friend, Mr. Happy Purple Head?!" Susan gasped as she looked up at him, shocked.  
  
"Not so imaginary as your parents thought. Boy, I underestimated that they'd freak out so much..."  
  
~*~flashback~*~  
  
An elderly woman and a woman in her early thirties quietly sit in a living room, knitting in front of a fireplace.  
  
"So he thinks we can hold out for several months without having to move and maybe he could find some other work in the area." The younger woman discussed with the older woman calmly.  
  
"Well that's-" The elderly woman is interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming open. They both look up as a small girl runs across the living room and up the stairs, crying the whole way. The sound of a bedroom door being slammed is heard a couple seconds later. "Dear, you really should talk to Susan. It isn't healthy for a child to have an imaginary friend that teases her until she cries."  
  
"Yes, it's very unhealthy..." the younger woman said, obviously concerned.  
  
"I don't know about that," an unknown masculine chuckled from the front door. The two women yelped in surprise as he strode into the house. "Hello, my name is Xellos and I've heard from Fil-, I mean Susan that you've been having some financial trouble lately. I thought it would be nice if I might help your family out. Especially considering the favor that you all are doing for me."  
  
The younger of the two woman stood up, absolutely livid at the stranger's rudeness. "What are doing coming into my house without my-" Xellos walked up right in her face and grabbed her by the chin and turned her face from side to side, scrutinizing.  
  
"Madame, you are not that bad looking. Quite attractive actually. I would even go as far as say you are hot. Definitely a nice body." Xellos mused out loud as he reached around her to goose her rear. "Very nice indeed. And a lovely face too. Hopefully she'll have your nose when she grows up. I'm sorry to say but I don't know why you married a man with a nose like that." Xellos smiled at the mortified blushing woman as he backed away from Susan's mother.  
  
"Who are you and what's this favor that we are supposedly doing for you?" the older woman got onto her feet scowling at the intruder.  
  
"Why, raising your daughter of course. Please make sure that she's a real upright and moral girl. You know. All prudish and uptight. She's so much fun when she's like that. Hmm," Xellos looked up and down the older woman in the same scrutinizing manner and muttered out loud, "You also were probably a looker in your day."  
  
The mention of her daughter woke up Susan's mother from her embarrassment. The normally meek woman suddenly demanded "My daughter! What do you want with her!?"  
  
"That's my own business. Anyway, what's wrong with an act of kindness that helps your family in a time of need?" Xellos smirked as he took out and tosses a small bag of coins onto one of the living room's end table. Then he spun on his heel and headed for the door. "I'll be seeing you around."  
  
~*~end of flashback~*~  
  
"The next day I came back and your whole family had moved away. One of them must have somehow sensed that I was a monster."  
  
"You are a monster?!" Susan gasped.  
  
"Yup." continued Xellos, cheerfully. "The most powerful monster under the five dark lords. I was going to go directly after you to kidnap you right then but then I remembered the reason why I was allowing your parents to raise you. I heard that humans have problems moving to more adult relationship with people they grew up with. Especially the one that raises them. So I decided to leave you alone until you were grown. Now I've come back. Perfect timing! It would have been a shame to take you away from your marriage and any resulting children. Well, actually, I wouldn't really care but you might mind it." Xellos opened his eyes and licked his lips with a slight leer as a he rubbed a hand on her rear and lowered his head toward hers, murmuring softly. "Yes. Perfect timing... now you are very much an adult..."  
  
Susan eeped and slipped out of his embrace. She backed away from him warily. "Get away! Leave me alone! You are going to leave me alone and I'm getting married! Whatever you believe doesn't matter! But I am not going to run off with a demon ever! Get out!"  
  
Xellos got up and advanced toward Susan, throughly amused. "You were mine originally and you are mine even now. Destiny and all that. We have an existence to continue together. You don't think I would actually just go on to another dragon-girl. It took me a hundred years just to bed you. I have an investment. How do you think you got reincarnated in the first place?"  
  
Susan found herself backed into a corner nearly quivering with rage at the man in front of her, calmly propped with a hand against the back wall right near her head. "Oh by the way, Val is doing fine and can't wait to see you in a month or so after we go on our "getting *very* reacquainted with each other" vacation. I must warn you that I did allow him to get a piercing while you were gone. He was such an outcast the last couple times around and I thought he might as well experience what it's like to be part of the stupid "in" crowd. I know you're going to ask if I would let him jump off a cliff, if everyone else was jumping off a cliff, and I feel I must remind you that he does have those wings." Xellos wagged a finger at her.  
  
"Who's Val? Is he another demon?"  
  
"Sadly enough, no. Not this time."  
  
"Then why does he have wings?"  
  
"He's a dragon like you are... or rather like you were, in your last life. Remember when you were little? What did Mr. Happy Purple Head always call you?" Xellos teased as he attempted to try poking her in the stomach to get a giggle.  
  
Susan glared at him, unmoved, childhood memories starting to surface. "Funny looking."  
  
Xellos paused, sweat dropping a bit. "Well besides that... what did I use to call you? I used to call you 'Filia, my little golden dragon.'" He grabbed her chin to tilt her face toward him and gave her a gentle kiss. Then he opened his eyes to look at her directly in her eyes. "Because that's what you are." He about to kiss her again, only to be interrupted by the knock on the door. "Damn."   
  
Susan pushed him off her and snarled at the disappointed demon. "That's Marie with my veil. This is where you leave!"  
  
"Oh very well. It'll be more dramatic and romantic if we run off together mid-ceremony. I'll go get a good seat. I'll be up front." With that, Xellos teleported out of the dressing room and Susan went to the door to let in her maid of honor.  
  
Marie handed a still flustered Susan the veil and looked around. "Hm. Funny. I thought I heard you talking someone."  
  
Susan ignored Marie's statement as she quickly attached the thin piece of lace and cloth to her head and made sure it was in front of her face. "There. Lets go. I have a wedding to go to."  
  
~*~*~*~  
End of Part 1.  
  
Please, if you enjoyed this story and would like to see it continued then give a review.  
Thank you,   
BattleJoy Walton 


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